The Internet is being accessed by users for a variety of objectives including to socially and competitively interact with others as a form of entertainment. The playing of card and board games over the Internet (on-line games) enables players to enjoy the game with others who may reside at distant locations from each other, as well as permit them to chat while playing the game.
In some cases, each player is charged a direct fee for playing the on-line card and board game. This fee can have the effect of reducing the number of players who would otherwise want to play these on-line games. As with some other forms of entertainment, advertising of products and services has been used to limit or eliminate fees that might be charged to users or viewers in order to financially support the particular entertainment, such as television programs. In essence, the entity intended to be benefitted by the advertising assumes the costs associated with providing the entertainment service.
Typically, control over display of the advertisement is exclusively the domain of the presenter of the advertisement. That is, the viewer or user cannot initiate the start or terminate the advertisement provided by a particular media channel. The user or viewer could switch to another media channel or turn off the media channel having the advertisement in order to terminate the advertisement to that particular viewer. However, returning to the media channel having the advertisement would still result in its presentation until the entity responsible for the advertisement terminated it.
Advertisements are currently provided using the Internet. This on-line advertising includes display of advertisements at the same time other information is being displayed. Such advertisements are provided, for example, along the border(s) of the computer screen. Additionally, advertisements are displayed when playing on-line games. When playing a question and request-for-answer on-line game, it is known to interrupt the series of questions that are presented on the computer screen with an advertisement that continues for a predetermined time period and then further questions are posed for the player's response.
Even though on-line advertising is presently occurring, in light of the circumstances involving multiple players playing the same card or board game, previous advertising protocols and presentations would not be optimum. When playing on-line card or board games, it is important that the advertising not be intrusive or interfere with the game playing. The advertisement should benefit those players who wish to take advantage of the advertisement, while reducing the effect on those players who have little or no interest in the particular advertisement.